1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deicer for removing ice from an automobile windshield or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The challenges of getting a vehicle underway each morning in a cold climate are well-known. These problems are exacerbated when the automobile is left outside and uncovered.
The windshield and back window of a car generally slope upwardly leaving an upwardly facing exposed surface to, when the automobile is under way, enhance the aerodynamics of air and wind passing thereby and, in the case of the front windshield, to influence the passage of snow, rain and moisture upwardly and rearwardly thereover.
In the cold climates these upwardly exposed surfaces contribute to the early winter morning challenges. That is, upon arriving home in the evening, the automobile is frequently parked in the driveway or along the curb with the passengers exiting to leave the warm vehicle exposed to the elements. In the case of cold rain, sleet or snow coming to rest on the exposed surfaces, as the temperature drops below freezing, the moisture will tend to freeze and as the evening and night wears on, may freeze in multiple layers thus presenting the driver with an extremely uninviting situation in the morning.
Traditionally, these layers of ice have been attacked in the early morning hours by ice scrapers which may be in the form of a plastic blade or the like to leave the driver chipping away at small areas of the windshield, often unable to successfully penetrate the layers of hardened ice and creating a risk that, when penetration is made, scaring of the windshield surface may result.
In recognition of these problems, numerous different types of windshield screens and the like have been proposed to be anchored in covering relation over the windshield. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,223,145 to Wise. These devices suffer the shortcoming that they are relatively bulky, cumbersome to install, and themselves frequently become ladened with ice and snow thereby adding to the weight thereof and posing a challenge to the driver seeking to remove the ice ladened shield and separate the snow and ice therefrom for storage.
In recognition of the difficulties of anchoring sheeting to the vehicle or vehicle door handles or the like, it has been proposed to provide an adhesive layer for covering the windshield for adhering a reinforced backing sheet in place. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,780 to Naidu. Such devices are relatively expensive to manufacture and, being disposable, must be replaced each time they are used. Furthermore, the adhesive layer will tend to stick to the windshield thus impairing vision of the driver.